Two Strands of Melody
by ShadowsDaughter
Summary: Erik finds out that Christine is coming to America with her husband to perform at Mr. Hammerstein's opera and finds himself wanting the girl he left, back. Christine is in a loveless, abusive marriage with Raoul and when her Angel of Music flies back into her life, will she choose him again or will she choose her husband? AU, no Gustave, HEA, Rated M for abuse and possible lemons
1. Chapter 1

**Hey all! I was watching LND last night and I found myself wanting a HEA but didn't just want to change the ending. So, I've made a few changes. First being, Gustave doesn't exist. Sorry folks, I love him in the musical but for this FF to work the way I want it to, he can't be there. And the other major thing I'm changing is that Raoul is going to be abusive to Christine at times during this fic along with mentions of previous abuse. If mentions, or scenes of abuse of any kind offend you, do not read this fic. Yes, there will be Raoul bashing, sorry to those who love him. And yes, this is AU so expect things and characters to be a bit different than they were in the musical. **

**I hope you all enjoy this! I enjoy any kinds of feedback: reviews or PMs so feel free to do either. But please, no flames. If you don't like something, please tell me, but don't be immature about it. Thank you!**

**-Shadow**

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><p>"I can't believe this! This is such an embarrassment!" Raoul de Changy snapped as he poured himself a drink. A frown seemed as though it was permanent on his face, his hair a bit too long to be fashionable, but he still looked handsome as he did ten years ago.<p>

"Darling, I'm sure Mr. Hammerstein meant no slight," his wife tried to placate him with a smile, her voice soft. She had been born to be on stage, she had thrived there, but now she was putting her acting skills to use on a daily basis so her husband wouldn't get so upset he'd raise a hand to her.

"It's ridiculous, Christine!" He said, throwing her a look that was full of anger.

Christine de Changy, formally known as Christine Daae looked to the ground and clasped her hands together. She knew better than to argue with him, it would just anger him more. She didn't know when exactly her husband had stopped loving her, but she knew he no longer did. The sad thing was, she had nowhere to go if she left him, if he'd even let her go. He saw her as a possession, the owner of the beauty of France, the owner of the voice that could turn heads miles away. No, he would never let her go.

A knock on the hotel door had her jumping and at Raoul's look, she rushed to the door and opened it to see a messenger.

"Yes?" She asked and he held out an envelope. She glanced at it and saw her husband's name scrawled across it. Something about the penmanship was familiar, but she couldn't place where she'd seen it.

"A letter from Mr. Hammerstein, ma'am." The man said and she smiled at him, her blue eyes softening at the man's nervous look.

"Thank you," she whispered and he nodded before walking away. She closed the door.

"Well?" Raoul snapped. "Who was it?"

"It's a letter, for you." Christine said and held the letter out to him as he downed the rest of his drink. He snatched the letter from her and opened it. His eyes ran over the letter and he let out a huff of laughter before reaching for his coat. "What does it say?" She quietly asked, truly curious.

"It seems Hammerstein wants to meet with me in the hotel bar." Raoul said as he poured himself a quick shot of brandy.

"Alone?" Christine frowned. Why didn't he want her there? She was the one who was going to be performing, after all.

"Yes. Alone." Raoul rolled his eyes before shooting back the drink.

"Raoul?" Christine asked, taking a timid step forward and his eyes snapped to her.

"What?" He snapped.

"N-nothing. Never mind." She whispered and looked away.

"No, say what's on your mind, _darling._" She winced at his tone and had to resist as he stalked towards her until he was almost touching her.

"Just please… don't drink so much. Please," she pleaded and after a second she glanced up at him only then to have pain explode in her cheek. She gasped and brought a hand up to her cheek.

"Never tell me what to do, Christine." Raoul snapped before turning on his heel, almost stumbling and made his way out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Christine sank onto the piano bench with a soft sob, tears welling in her eyes as she cradled her now red cheek. She hated the man Raoul had become. She dreamed of the man he used to be, the man who whispered in her ear what their future together would be like, the man who had shown her what it was like to be loved. Well, maybe not completely.

Suddenly from behind her, music started playing and she jumped to her feet, whirling to face the piano. There was some sort of music playing… toy on the piano. She had taken note of it before but Raoul had stolen her attention before it could really hold her attention for too long. The tune was vaguely familiar, pulling at memories long lost and she let out a shaky breath, taking a step closer, her blue eyes wide.

"It can't be…" She whispered and touched the player. As she did so, the music stopped and the lights flickered before the doors to the balcony were thrown open, letting in a gust of air. She took a few steps back as she saw a tall, dark form in the shadows. Fear filled her and she glanced at the hotel door, wondering if she could make it there before the mystery man got to her. But then the man stepped forward into the light. Light bounced off half of his face that was covered in a white mask.

"E-Erik?" Christine managed to get out as he entered the room completely.

"Hello, Christine." He replied, his green eyes searing into hers. The room span for a moment before all she knew was darkness.

"Wake up, Angel." She heard and felt fingers trailing across her cheek. She couldn't remember the last time Raoul had touched her like that. With gentleness. She let out a sigh and leaned into the warmth of the hand, wincing at the pain in her jaw and opened her eyes only to suck in a breath as she saw Erik in front of her, sitting on the foot stool.

"Erik?" Christine wasn't sure if her mind was playing tricks on her. Was the Phantom of the Opera really in her hotel room?

"I'm here Christine," he answered, his eyes holding a warmth she found herself drowning in.

God, ten years. Ten years since she had last seen her Angel of Music. Ten years since she had her heart broken. Ten years since she had tasted what passion really was. Ten years since she had finally come to know who the man behind the mask was.

"H-how?" Christine asked and his hand dropped from her face to land in his lap. She missed his hand on her face already. God, she wanted to crawl into his lap and have him hold her as if she were a young child!

"That doesn't matter right now, Christine. What happened to your face?" He asked and she could see a hint of rage in his eyes. And fear for Raoul rose in her. She may not have loved the man anymore, but she was his wife.

"It's nothing," she whispered, looking away. "Just a misunderstanding."

"A misunderstanding?" Erik hissed and she winced. "A slap is not nothing, Christine! What if he does something worse?" The way he said it probably was supposed to be rhetorical, but Christine winced again and found herself rubbing her wrist and glancing at him.

Horror filled his green eyes and he shook his head.

"No." He said. "You were supposed to be safe. Loved. Cherished." He said and gently took her wrist into his hands and ran his hands over it, feeling the bump where her wrist hadn't healed just right. "Oh, my Christine." He whispered and suddenly anger filled her and she was on her feet, pacing away from him.

"_Your _Christine?" She laughed dryly. "I stopped being yours when you left me alone in the middle of the night! I came to you, wanting to be with you for, well, for forever and then I awoke and you were gone!" She was almost yelling and tears welled in her eyes as she remembered how much it had hurt to wake and find him gone, only a rose in his place.

"I thought it was what was best for you!" Erik said, rising to his feet, following after her, his tone pleading. "I haven't stopped thinking about that night! The way you were so innocent and became a woman in my arms," he whispered and Christine looked away from his eyes that suddenly had a heat to them that she knew would make her feel things if she looked for too long.

"Erik… why are you here?" Christine asked after a moment and he sighed and from his jacket he pulled out a music folder and placed it on the piano.

"I'm here for you, Christine." He said and her eyes widened. "But if I can't have you, then I'd like to hear you sing, one last time for me." He said and pushed the music towards her.

"Wh-what?" She blinked a few times and grabbed the music, not sure on what else to do. She held it to her chest as her thoughts whirled in her mind. "Mr. Hammerstein is expecting me to sing for him, and-"

"I know what Hammerstein is paying you." Erik interrupted her. "I will double it if you will sing that one song for me. One night. One performance. In five night's time."

Double the money? God that would take care of Raoul's debt and give them spending room. She glanced down at the music she was holding to her chest then up at Erik. He slowly walked over to her and stopped about a foot away but reached out to touch her cheek again, the one that Raoul had slapped.

"I would never hurt you, Christine." He whispered and she swallowed. But he had, he had left her. "If you accept, I will see you at rehearsal at Phantasma tomorrow at nine o'clock." He said and made his way to the balcony.

"Wait!" Christine called, not sure why she was stalling him. Erik paused and looked at her. They stared into each other's eyes for a minute before he stepped back towards her, holding out a rose with a black ribbon tied around the stem.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Angel." Erik quietly said and then was gone. She stood there with wide eyes for a few minutes until the door to the room was thrust open and an angry Raoul strode in, muttering about something. She put the hand holding the rose behind her but stepped forward, ready to tell him about the new deal.

"Raoul?" Christine said and he ignored her, pouring himself a drink. "Raoul!" She snapped and he looked at her with angered eyes. "I've been offered a new deal," she started and he raised an eyebrow, "the man will play twice the amount Hammerstein will." She said and Raoul's eyes glinted.

"His name?" Raoul asked. She glanced down at the music.

"Mister… Y."

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><p><strong>Please take a minute to review.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello! I know it's been forever since I started this but I've been in a bad place this past month and I'm hoping that my interest in writing this means I'll be interested in my other stories as well. **

**PhantomFan01: Raoul is a bit of a bastard, yes, but he has to be for my story to work how I want it to. Don't worry, Erik will definitely get his kicks in. (; Thanks for the support!**

**Phanwholock: Thank you, I've been writing for some time. I saw the hints of an abusive Raoul and it's what sparked the idea for this fanfic, I wondered how the story would change if he was abusive and I hope you continue to like my interpretation. Thanks for the support!**

**I hope you all enjoy this! I enjoy any kinds of feedback: reviews or PMs so feel free to do either. But please, no flames. If you don't like something, please tell me, but don't be immature about it. Thank you!**

**-Shadow**

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><p>Christine glanced at the clock on the bedside table and decided to get up for the day. Raoul was passed out in bed, he had drank until he was so drunk he started calling her his 'Little Lotte' again and then demanded that they celebrate in the bedroom. She winced as she gently touched the growing bruise on her hip. She climbed out of the bed, her hair, still long and curly, trailing down her back and she selected an outfit for the day. She chose a pale blue dress with a jacket, as was the style, but as she sat down to pin-up her hair she paused as she stared at herself.<p>

_"I would never hurt you Christine."_

Erik's voice echoed in her mind and she sighed. After Raoul had spent himself, she had laid in the dark, thinking about how she was keeping Erik's identity a secret and about Erik's claim. He wanted her. Her pulse quickened as she thought about sharing her life with Erik. What would it be like? Full of music, passion, life... Love. Things that she was lacking and needed. But could she really leave Raoul? It was her duty as a wife to care for him, and part of her was waiting for the old Raoul to come back. But another part of her knew that her Raoul was gone.

Christine shook herself and brushed through her hair, the curls still a bit wild and grabbed a few pins. She pulled back the front but left the rest down her back and shoulders. It wasn't the style for married women, but... She smiled at herself. God, she looked alive for once. Her eyes had a sparkle in them, the smile on her lips didn't want to go away. And whom did she have to thank for this change? Erik.

Erik.

His sharp green eyes. His height. His voice. God, how she missed him. She rose and pulled on a pair of low heels, grabbed her small bag, before quietly leaving the room, making sure to not disturb Raoul. She grabbed the music from the piano and made sure she had her room key before quickly writing a note saying she was going to rehearsal, that she didn't want to disturb his sleep, that she loved him, but now more than ever before it left a bad feeling in her stomach.

Since it was early in the morning, she had no qualms about going down to the bar and getting a cup of tea, or coffee, whichever they had. She smiled at those she passed, an elderly couple who smiled back, a younger man whose eyes ran over her and tipped his hat to her. She went to the bar and saw a couple sitting at a table sharing some coffee and felt relaxed. She ordered some coffee and then sat down to look over the music. She hadn't had a chance to the night before and she didn't want to come to rehearsal without at least looking it over. Erik would have her head!

But when she saw the title, she had to force herself to swallow the coffee in her mouth. _"Love Never Dies"_ Well there was certainly no question on Erik's feelings for her, but had there ever been? Did she still love him? She sat back in her chair as she stared down at the title. Part of her had never stopped, even when he broke her heart and left her after she gave herself to him. She blinked a few times. Yes, she loved Erik. But... she was still married to Raoul.

She sighed. Christine forced herself to look over the lyrics with a more objective view and quietly started humming the notes.

"Excuse me?"

Christine looked up, startled to see the couple that had been in there when she arrived standing next to her.

"Yes?"

"You are Christine de Changy, correct?" The female asked, her brown eyes sparkling.

"I am," Christine nodded and the male smiled down at the woman.

"Oh, how wonderful!" The woman grinned. "I just wanted to say hello and let you know I'm a huge fan of the arts. When I heard you were coming to perform at Mr. Hammerstein's, I knew I had to see you."

"Thank you, you're very sweet." Christine smiled but sighed. "But where I'm performing has been changed, I'm singing at..." What had Erik called it? "Phantasma. The owner is a huge fan," _more than that "_and when he asked me personally to perform for him, I just couldn't say no."

"Oh.." The male frowned a bit and the woman sighed before cheering up.

"Then I shall come see you perform there! When are you performing?"

"Saturday night." Christine replied.

"Great! I can't wait. It was great to meet you!" The woman said and the man smiled, tipped his hat and led his wife away.

Christine smiled again and glanced at the clock above the bar. 8:30. She rose, leaving some money on the table, and left with her music and purse, the music already swirling in her mind.

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><p>"You'll be rehearsing in here," the midget woman said and Christine smiled in thanks as she opened the door. The room had dark themes and the only thing in it was the grand piano in the middle of the room.<p>

Christine walked in, closing the door behind her and made her way over to the piano, trailing her fingers over the keys.

"I didn't think you would come." His voice came from behind her, opposite the door. She smiled a bit. It seemed he was still up to his old ways. She turned and jumped slightly when she realized how close he was. They were almost touching. She looked up, her blue eyes met his green ones and she was reminded of her feelings. The urge to touch him, step into his arms was almost overwhelming. They stared at each other for a few minutes and then his hand came up, she flinched automatically and anger blazed in his eyes but his touch was soft as he ran it down the curl that was over her shoulder.

"Your hair is down." Erik quietly said and she swallowed before nodding. "I like it." She smiled a bit at that. His eyes warmed at her smile and the anger drifted away. He let his hand drop to his side before stepping back. Christine took a deep breath and turned away to stand beside the piano.

"Let's get started?" She said but her voice wobbled a bit. She ignored the small smirk on Erik's lips as he sat down on the piano bench.

"Of course, Angel." He said and she paused as she pulled out the music. He started playing some scales and she knew that she was to start with 'ah' as if they had never parted, never stopped their lessons but she was still frozen. Her mind was warring with itself.

"Christine?"

"Would you leave me again?" Christine managed to get out in a whisper. Erik heard her of course and stopped playing, a gasp escaping him.

"N-no. Never, Christine." His voice strengthened and she glanced at him to see his eyes were ablaze again, but this time with much different emotion. "I've never stopped loving you, and I wouldn't be able to muster the strength to leave you again."

She stared at him for a moment before sighing and looking down at the music.

"Uhm, _ah_ right?" Christine said and Erik stared at her for a minute before nodding. He started the scales again and this time she sang the warm ups. She saw how his eyes closed at hearing her voice. He had missed her as much as she had missed him. God, what was she supposed to do?

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><p><strong>Please take a minute to review.<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**WARNING: SCENE OF ABUSE**

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><p>"There you are!" Raoul snapped as Christine entered the hotel room later that day.<p>

Erik had been professional the rest of the rehearsal and worked her hard. She hadn't rehearsed like that since she has last worked with him so her voice was a little sore but she was happy about the soreness. It meant improvement was coming. He had told her in his stern tone to make sure she drank plenty of tea but no coffee. Then he had walked her to the entrance and had kissed her hand, making her shiver but then he told her to be safe. That made her shiver again but for a whole different reason. The reason was standing in front of her, obviously drunk and _very _pissed off.

"I'm sorry, darling. I was just—"

"Just _what_?" Raoul sneered. "Out fucking some man behind my back?"

"What?" Christine gaped, her eyes wide. How could he think that? "I was rehearsing for the performance Saturday!" When was the last time she had raised her voice? She couldn't remember.

"Did you just yell at me?" Raoul murmured in a scary calm voice.

"I-I'm sorry. I just… It hurts to think you'd think I'd cheat on you. I left a note for you so you wouldn't worry, Raoul." He followed her finger which was sitting on the piano. The white note glaringly obvious against the shiny black of the piano.

"You think I'm stupid?! I saw the note but since when do rehearsals for one song last _five_ hours?" Raoul snapped, making his way to her. She did another thing that angered him. She started backing away, scared of the fury on his face.

"The composer is just serious about his work, darling. That's all." Her voice shook as he closed in on her, eyeing her trembling form. She dropped her purse and music without even realizing she had done so.

"You know what this reminds me of?" Raoul murmured, putting his hands against the door on either side of her head. She shook her head, her eyes barely meeting his bloodshot ones.

"When you would run off with that _freak_ you called 'Angel'." Raoul ran a hand down her cheek to her neck when his fingers curled around her throat. Fear clouded her mind to the point that she couldn't think anything else but of the safety of Erik. She couldn't let Raoul know about him. He'd find a way to kill the Phantom of the Opera. She just knew it.

"Y-You know he's gone for good, darling." She whispered and he nodded seriously, agreeing with her words.

"Who else would you be rehearsing with for so long with, then?" Raoul said and then his hand tightened, his other coming to yank on her hair. Christine choked and grabbed at the hand around her throat. "Your hair is down, you have this… look to you. I _know_ you were fucking someone, Christine!"

He threw her to the ground and she started coughing harshly, sucking in breaths that hurt. She started crawling away, her eyes wide and filled with tears as Raoul towered over her. He crouched down and she saw his fist raise then all went black.

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><p>She didn't know how long she had been unconscious but the late was fading in the window when she came to, her body twisted towards the balcony. She groaned and winced at the pain in her throat. But then a different pain started to ache and tears welled as she slowly sat up to see her dress all ripped up.<p>

"Oh God…" She whispered, bile rising in her throat. Raoul had raped her a few times but it had been a long time since he had last done it and she had been awake all the other times. Tears ran down her cheeks and she crawled to the piano bench to get to her feet where she found a note that was all wrinkled up.

_Christine,_

_I'll be back at 8 for us to go to dinner. You better be ready._

_-Raoul_

Fear rose in her and she trembled as she looked at the clock. It was about six but he often liked to come back early then blame her for never being ready on time. She went to the bathroom, wincing at how each step caused her head to throb and the ache between her legs to worsen. In the bedroom, she finally saw her reflection in the vanity mirror. She had a cut under her eyes that was a bit swollen, her hair a wild mess, faint bruises marred her neck and her dress was torn all over the skirt. She knew if she checked, her body would have more bruises than she had that morning.

_"Your hair is down, you have this… look to you." _

She winced at Raoul's voice.

_"Your hair is down. I like it." _

Erik's warm voice replaced her husbands and a sob escaped her. She started tearing her dress off of her but ended up on the floor by her vanity as sobs overcame her. She hated her life and before Erik had come back into her life, she had accepted her fate. But now… now she started thinking how she deserved better. Like she used to think. She slowly opened the drawer of the vanity and pulled out the rose Erik had given her. She stroked the petals softly, finding comfort in the flower.

_"You were supposed to be safe. Loved. Cherished."_

"Go, Christine." She whispered to herself after sobs had slowed down to continuous tears running down her pale cheeks. "Go!" She repeated and surged to her feet, this time getting her clothes off easily. She avoided looking at herself and pull on a simple, long sleeve, soft pink dress that was always comfortable when Raoul was too harsh. She slipped into some comfortable, flat shoes before grabbing a dark blue cloak with a large hood. She quickly and gently brushed her hair, her scalp sore and left it tumbling over her shoulders. She pulled on the cloak and pulled the hood up so half of her face was covered then left the room, picking up her purse from the ground.

Christine glanced back at the hotel room as she paused in the doorway but then she left without another thought.

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><p>It was a Monday so Phantasma was closed to the public but she went to the door she went to before but found it locked. She frowned and pushed again. It hadn't been locked earlier in the day. She glanced behind her, still hidden under her cloak and swallowed at the fear of being caught. Her emotions were still wild from Raoul's attack. What if he found her? Had someone follow her?<p>

"Please! Someone let me in!" She yelled out in a cracking voice, pounding on the door as hard as she could. She cried and yelled and pounded for a good five minutes before she heard the lock clicking. She lowered her arm and the door was opened to show a shorted, plump man with odd makeup.

"Can I help you?" The man asked and she trembled, glancing behind her again.

"P-Please. I need to see Erik." The man's eyes narrowed and she paused before pushing her cloak down.

"Madame De Changy!" The man gasped, eyes wide at her wild appearance. Tears were still running down her cheeks. "Gangle!" He yelled out and stepped back. "Please, come in madam."

"T-thank you, sir." She whispered and entered the room. It was a back entrance to the theater. The random costumes and pieces of music were a comfort to her as she hugged herself.

"What do you want?" A voice whined before a tall, skinny man with odd hair appeared. He stopped when he saw Christine. "Shit… what happened?"

"Erik… Please. I need Erik." Christine whispered.

"Of course. He's in a different building, I'll go get him. Squelsh, bring her to Mister Y's office here." Gangle said and then ran off. Squelsh, she assumed his name was, walked past her and down the way Gangle had originally appeared.

"This way, please." Squelsh said, glancing at her with a worried glance.

"_Merci_." She whispered, her fear slowly leaving her to a point where her tears stopped. It didn't take long to get to Erik's office. They went down a hall, up some stairs, down another hall until they got to a door that was by itself at the end of another hall.

"Go inside and get comfortable. Mister Y shouldn't be long." He said with a smile and opened the door but then walked back the way they came. Christine watched him leave before entering Erik's office, closing the door behind her. There were bookshelves lining all the walls, filled with books and other weird knickknacks. There was a huge desk topped with paperwork, an imposing chair behind the desk and a couch by the door but two chairs in front of the desk. She sat on the couch, hugging herself as she waited for Erik to come.

"Christine?" She heard and then door was shoved open. A frantic looking Erik stood there as his eyes scanned his office until his eyes met her. He was only in a dress shirt that had the first few buttons undone, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his pants low on his hips, and his hair was a bit messy. Some of the strands fell over his eyes. If she wasn't hurting so bad or so upset she'd have found the look quite… attractive. "Oh, God." He moaned and walked over to her and fell to his knees before her. "What happened, Angel?"

"R-Raoul…he…he…" She couldn't get any more words out. Erik's green eyes seemed to darken and his lips pursed before he reached out slowly, his arms moving in almost slow motion to come around her. Even kneeling he was taller than her. His arms wrapped around her back and he pulled her to him. She sighed softly as her head rested on his shoulder.

"You're safe now, Angel." At his words, more sobs escaped her and her hands grabbed at his sides, her fingers digging in. If he felt any pain, he didn't react. He just held her tighter. After some time, she calmed once more. There was a wet spot on his shirt from her tears but at the moment, she couldn't bring herself to care. Erik shifted and started to pull back but her hands tighten. She heard him hiss, but her fear was overwhelming her again.

"Don't leave me!" Christine whimpered and Erik froze before his arms tightened to the point that the bruises on her body hurt.

"I won't, Christine. I promise. But I'm not as young as you and my knees are starting to hurt. I'm going to get up, sit on the couch and that's it. Okay?" Erik said in a smooth, calm voice. His calm helped her relax and he slowly let her go so he could get up and as he said, he sat right down again. He pulled her against him and she easily fell into his side, her head on his chest. He ran a hand from the top of her head to her neck but she winced and pulled away. "Christine?"

"My… scalp…it's sore." Christine said and Erik froze at her voice.

"Christine… I know this might be hard but would you mind if I looked at you quickly? Or sent for a doctor?" The worry in his tone was clear, as was his anger.

"A doctor?" Christine asked, eyes wide as she looked up at him. He frowned as his eyes ran over her face.

"Yes, Angel." He swore under his breath as his fingers ghosted over her face. "You look ten times worse than when I saw you earlier."

"Raoul was mad at how long I had been out. Said I was…." She grimaced, unable to repeat his words. "Cheating on him."

"What?" Erik gaped at her before closing his eyes. "And that's why he..."

"Yeah…" Christine sighed and rested her head on his chest.

"Christine, can I please take a look at you? I'm no doctor but I'm knowledgeable about some medical things." Erik said and she swallowed before nodding. "Alright. Thank you." Erik said and she felt him kiss the top of her head gently. She just nodded her head. "Let's have you sit on my desk." He said, standing up and taking her with him.

She took off her cloak and set it on the couch before turning to face him. His eyes narrowed in on her throat and his hands clenched at his sides before resuming to clear a spot on his desk. She slowly made her way over, running her hands over her cheeks to wipe away the tears there. He lifted her onto the desk without a word and turned on more lamps around the room until it was much brighter before coming back to her.

"This might hurt, okay?" Erik sounded worried but she just nodded again. He started pushing on her cheekbone all over and then moved on, ignoring her wince though she could see the worry in his eyes. "Not broken." He murmured and then gently put his hands on her throat, urging her to tilt her head back. He didn't grip her neck, just used his fingertips to push and then he sighed harshly at her reactions.

"What?" Christine asked worriedly.

"You won't be singing for a while." He said. "Bastard didn't only hurt your body but now takes away your voice?" He murmured almost to himself and tears welled in her eyes again but didn't fall. It saddened her that she wouldn't be able to perform for Erik but promised herself she'd do great when her voice was better.

"Erm… I could call a doctor for anything else?" Erik offered, obviously a little embarrassed, his eyes running over her body before shifting away. Despite the pain and situation, Christine found herself smiling a bit.

"I trust you, Erik." Christine whispered and went to slide off the desk but she went off the corner and it jabbed into her, causing her to gasp, her hands coming to the throbbing pain between her legs. Erik's hands were on her arms gently.

"Christine?" He gasped and she shook her head, trying to breathe through the pain. "Why do you hurt there?" There was beat of silence where she looked the other way. "Son of a bitch!" Erik cursed and let her go, storming to the wall where suddenly a loud sound had her looking up to see Erik punching the wall.

"Erik?" Christine whispered in shock and just a little fear. But the fear melted away when he turned to her, his eyes wide with anger and such sadness. Tears were welled in his eyes but none fell. He clenched and unclenched his fists before his eyes pierced into hers.

"I'm going to kill that fop, Christine." Erik said in a voice that didn't have her doubting his words. "I'm going to kill him."

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><p><strong>Hello everyone! God... how long has it been? I don't even know but I had the urge to write and so write I did! I don't know when I'll next update but I hope the length of this chapter makes up for some of time that has gone by since my last update. I hope all is well with my readers (if I still have any...) and I hope you like this chapter! It was a bit hard for me to write this chapter but I hope despite my hesitation, it's a good chapter. <strong>

**If anyone was offended or anything while reading this, I am sorry but I did warn you right away scenes of abuse could be posted. So please, if you have an issue with what I wrote, let me know or stop reading. I won't take offense. But please don't flame me? **

**Anyways, please take a moment if you can and review to let me know your thoughts.**

**-Shadow**


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